Sports Illustrated and Time Warner Cable Announce Launch of SI On Demand
13 February 2007
The Sports Illustrated Group division of Time Inc. has signed a deal with Time Warner Cable to launch a video-on-demand channel that will offer viewers content exclusive to Sports Illustrated and its portfolio of assets, including Golf magazine. SI On Demand will premiere on February 14 on Time Warner Cable Free On Demand, a service that is available in more than seven million homes nationwide.
Scheduled to launch in conjunction with the release of this year's much-anticipated SI Swimsuit Issue, SI On Demand will air a collection of video clips and feature behind-the-scenes footage of the world's most beautiful supermodels posing at spectacular locations around the world. The channel will also feature instructional sports videos, including a series from Golf Magazine's Top 100 Teachers that will offer viewers tips on how to improve their game. Additional sports-related content will rollout throughout the year.
"Bringing SI Swimsuit and instructional sports videos to the coveted on-demand audience via Time Warner Cable is perfectly aligned with SI's digital strategy, which enables fans to enjoy our content whenever they want," said Mark Ford, president and publisher of the SI Group. "SI On Demand is another great distribution channel for our growing collection of broadband offerings, all of which deliver experiences that are entertaining, engaging and relevant to the lifestyles of our young, media-savvy consumers."
"Time Warner Cable is continually expanding its on-demand offerings providing digital cable customers content they want, when they want it," said Bob Benya, SVP of On Demand and ITV for Time Warner Cable. "SI On Demand demonstrates how Time Warner companies work together to leverage their content and distribution, in this case bringing Sports Illustrated's exclusive, sought after content to Digital customers throughout our footprint, which includes some of the biggest sports cities in the country."
The agreement also includes the creation of advertising opportunities within the SI On Demand environment. The advertising sales for SI On Demand are being led by Sports Illustrated and Time Warner Cable Media Sales. Together they are providing sponsors and advertisers unique ways to connect with the SI On Demand audience, including bumpers that can play before and after selected video, as well as, exclusive advertiser content areas within the SI On Demand environment where sponsors can showcase their own content.
Toyota is the year-long presenting sponsor of the SI On Demand channel. AXE is the official sponsor of the SI Swimsuit sub-channel at launch.
About SI
SI is a multimedia sports brand that takes the consumer into the heart and soul of sports. The SI franchise is anchored by Sports Illustrated, the most respected voice in sports journalism which reaches a weekly audience of nearly 21 million adults, and SI.com, the magazine's 24/7 sports news website that delivers more than 150 original stories to its users each week. The SI franchise also includes Sports Illustrated Kids (sikids.com), a monthly magazine targeted to kids age 8 and up; Golf Magazine and Golf.com; SIOncampus.com, a website dedicated to college sports and the college sports lifestyle; SI Presents the magazine's specialty publishing division; as well as SI Books, SI Pictures, SI Productions, SI Digital and SI Events. Founded in 1954, SI is a division of Time Inc., one of the largest content companies in the world and a subsidiary of Time Warner.
About Time Warner Cable
Time Warner Cable owns and manages cable systems serving 13.4 million subscribers in 33 states. Passing approximately 26 million homes, Time Warner Cable includes some of the most technologically advanced and best-clustered cable systems in the country, with nearly 85 percent of the Company's customers located in five geographic regions: New York, Texas, Ohio, the Carolinas and southern California. Leveraging its leadership in innovation and quality customer care, Time Warner Cable delivers advanced products and services such as video on demand, high definition television, digital video recorders, high-speed data and Digital Phone. Time Warner Cable is a subsidiary of Time Warner.
Time Warner Digital Initiatives
Time Warner's innovative digital products and services reinforce the company's industry-leading brands on all platforms with a focus on growth, engagement and monetization. Among Time Warner's digital initiatives are: Warner Bros.' Studio 2.0, Digital Cinema, Total Hi-Def disc as well as multiple digital downloading and VOD distribution agreements; AOL Video, AOL Music, AIM, MapQuest and Moviefone; HBO on Demand and Cingular mobile devices; Time Warner Cable's enhanced digital video applications, Road Runner High Speed Online and Digital Phone services; Time Inc.'s People.com, SI.com and Time.com; Turner Broadcasting's CNN.com, CNN Pipeline, TCM.com, CartoonNetwork.com, TheSmokingGun.com, superdeluxe.com, AdultSwim.com, Veryfunnyads.com, NASCAR.com, pga.com and GameTap; and joint initiatives like In2TV and TMZ.com from AOL and Warner Bros. as well as CNNMoney.com from Time Inc. and Turner.
Contact Info:
Allison Keane
Sports Illustrated
(212) 522-5542
allison_keane@timeinc.com
Justin Venech
Time Warner Cable
(203) 328-3217
justin.venech@twcable.com
